Literary Kiosks at the Iowa City Book Festival

The University of Iowa Libraries in partnership with the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature is bringing Literary Kiosks to Iowa City. First installed in public spaces in Europe and now appearing throughout the U.S., these kiosks allow on-demand printing of short prose or poetry works. Designed to be quick, easy, and engaging, the Literary Kiosk encourages on-the-spot reading and literacy. The kiosk also increases access to literary content while raising the visibility of literature and highlighting the diversity of writers’ voices within our community. Users simply press the 1, 3, or 5 minute button on the kiosk and instantly receive a free print out of a literary work.Starting in Spring 2019, five kiosks placed throughout Iowa City, Coralville, and Cedar Rapids will provide local content from University of Iowa students and faculty as well as community partners. The kiosks are meant to be a publishing venue for beginning as well as advanced writers. K-12 teachers as well as UI and Kirkwood faculty are encouraged to use the kiosk as a way to introduce students to short genres and teach the value of word selection and narrative flow. Additionally, the project will provide an opportunity for students and others to obtain editing experience.Try out the first Literary Kiosk during the Book Festival’s book fair at MERGE. The trial kiosk will provide public domain content while we experiment with and promote the concept as well as sign up collaborators.